Tag: Joshuah Bledsoe

Patriots make multiple late moves before Bills game

The Patriots made a slew of moves on Saturday, including putting wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on injured reserve.

The New England Patriots made a slew of moves on Saturday, including putting veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on injured reserve.

It’s a tough end to an overall disappointing season for Smith-Schuster, who was initially brought in to be the replacement for Jakobi Meyers. Smith-Schuster had his best showing in his last outing as a Patriot, hauling in four passes for 90 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But he finished the season with only 29 total receptions for 260 yards and one touchdown. It was the worst season of Smith-Schuster’s NFL career, and it paled in comparison to what Meyers was able to do in his first season with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Along with putting Smith-Schuster on IR, the Patriots also announced they had signed safety Joshuah Bledsoe to the 53-man roster, along with elevating tight end Matt Sokol and offensive lineman Andrew Stueber ahead of Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills.

Injuries have clearly taken a toll on the Patriots’ roster. Now, they’re being forced to look even further down the depth chart to make up for it on the road against one of the NFL’s hottest teams.

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Madden 24 ratings for every Patriots safety

Three Patriots safeties received an 80-plus overall rating.

The New England Patriots will be entering the 2023 season with one of the best defensive backfields in the NFL, and the ratings on the upcoming “Madden NFL 24” video game reflect it.

There are three players at the safety position for the Patriots rated 80-plus overall in the game. It’s a good thing for a unit that lost legendary defensive back Devin McCourty in the offseason.

McCourty, who rode off into the sunset in retirement, will be watching from the sidelines as players like Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers, Jalen Mills and Adrian Phillips step up as defensive leaders.

Madden players, on the other hand, will love running this unit against that one friend that constantly heaves up deep throws on every play. Here are the official Madden 24 ratings for every Patriots safety.

34 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 34 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 34 jersey number

The New England Patriots are officially 34 days away from their 2023 season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. So we’re continuing our countdown series by listing every Patriots player that has ever worn a No. 34 jersey.

It’s hard not to think of some of the standout running backs, particularly in the Bill Belichick coaching era, when it comes to Patriots players and the No. 34.

Rex Burkhead was the one that powered his way into the end zone in the 2018 AFC Championship Game to deliver the dagger to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime. Shane Vereen had a team-high 11 receptions for the Patriots to help knock off the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl XLIX.

And Sammy Morris plowed for 727 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games to contribute to an 11-win season without Tom Brady at quarterback in 2008.

Let’s take a look at every Patriots player throughout franchise history that has worn the No. 34 (via Pro Football Reference).

Rising rookie Jack Jones listed among seven Patriots’ inactives vs Bengals

The Patriots could have big problems in the defensive backfield.

There could be big problems looming in the defensive backfield for the New England Patriots when looking at the team’s inactive list ahead of Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The two names that stand out immediately are cornerbacks Jalen Mills and Jack Jones, particularly with the Patriots facing one of the more prolific passing attacks in the NFL. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is sitting pretty in an offense that includes the likes of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd at the receiver position.

Not having Mills and Jones in the backfield could prove to be a detriment for the Patriots in this must-win matchup.

The team will also be without wideout DeVante Parker and running back Damien Harris on offense. Both players have missed multiple weeks with injuries, and their absences won’t help an offensive unit that’s already struggling this season.

The Patriots are entering this game with a 7-7 record and their backs against the wall as far as playoff contention is concerned. They’ll somehow have to turn things around as underdogs at home against one of the hottest teams in football.

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3 big takeaways from Patriots’ 22-17 win at Jets

Here are 3 big takeaways from New England’s hard-fought win over the Jets

If the New England Patriots needed a game to put their quarterback controversy to rest, this one was most certainly not it.

While starting quarterback Mac Jones performed admirably in his first full game back from a high ankle sprain, his play still left much to be desired. Jones threw for 194 passing yards and a touchdown, but he also recorded an interception and almost nearly a pick-six on a pass that was called back for a roughing the passer penalty.

Despite Jones’ inconsistent play, the Patriots were able to take down a Jets team that came into the matchup on a four-game winning streak. Here are three big takeaways from the victory.

Adrian Phillips travels with Patriots, Joshuah Bledsoe ruled out for game

Adrian Phillips still has a chance to play on Sunday, while Joshuah Bledsoe is being ruled out.

The New England Patriots are flying out for Sunday’s much-anticipated matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they’re hopeful to have safety Adrian Phillips back on the field.

Despite dealing with a rib injury, the veteran defensive back is traveling with the team, which indicates he’ll have a real opportunity to suit up and play in the game.

However, it’ll likely be a game-time decision with him still listed on the injury report. The Patriots will need all of the help they can get on the backend of the defense to keep Pittsburgh’s receivers under lock and key.

While Phillips made the trip, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported second-year safety Joshuah Bledsoe is being ruled out with a groin injury.

This will be the first meeting between the Patriots and Steelers since 1998 that neither Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger were the starting quarterbacks. The expectations this time around is this game being more about defense and less about offense.

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Bill Belichick pleased with progress of rookie safety Joshuah Bledsoe

Bill Belichick is pleased with the progress of the rookie safety.

Rookie safety Joshuah Bledsoe is earning praise from Bill Belichick. The sixth-round pick out of Missouri has seen progress in his first season with the Patriots after starting the year on the non-football injury list. After impressing in practice over these last couple of weeks, he was activated to the 53-man roster on Tuesday.

A wrist injury prevented him from taking part in training camp and the preseason. After being placed on the NFI list before Week 1, he is now finally getting the chance to make his mark. Belichick had nothing but praise for Bledsoe on Wednesday, as the team begins to prepare for the stretch run.

As transcribed by Zack Cox of NESN.com, Belichick believes that Bledsoe could have an opportunity to play for the Patriots this season.

“Josh got a late start, obviously, because of the situation he had in the spring,” Belichick told reporters Wednesday at Gillette Stadium. “That was unfortunate, but he got an opportunity to practice the last 2 1/2 weeks, and he did a good job. He showed up out there, and positively, to the point where we thought he might have a chance to contribute this year.”

With the Patriots looking to make a playoff push, Bledsoe could have a chance to make his mark.

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Patriots make a flurry of transactions to start preparations for Week 15

The Patriots had a busy Tuesday, filled with transactions.

The New England Patriots are shuffling around players ahead of their Week 15 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.

The team held its first practice on Tuesday, one day ahead of their normal schedule for a Sunday game which would have them commencing practice on a Wednesday. The team is dealing with a handful of injuries, and they placed tight end Dalton Keene, already on injured reserve, on the COVID-19/reserve list. It will be worth monitoring to see if any other cases sprout up around the team. There also seems to be a non-COVID illness spreading around the locker rooom, with multiple players listed with one on the injury report.

Here are the transactions the Patriots made on Tuesday.

Patriots rookies Cam McGrone, Joshuah Bledsoe make debuts at practice

Can the Patriots get these two rookies into action this season?

New England Patriots rookies Cam McGrone, Joshuah Bledsoe make their debuts at practice in Week 11

McGrone, a linebacker and a 2021 fifth-round pick, started the season on the non-football injury (NFI) list after suffering an ACL injury during the 2020 college football season. Bledsoe, a safety and a 2021 sixth-round pick, was recovering from wrist surgery. Because they both started on the NFI list, they have 21 days before they must be activated to the roster or else they revert back to NFI for the remainder of the season.

They weren’t the only players to make their debut. Punter Corliss Waitman also participated, likely as a practice squad player. He has spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders after entering the NFL in 2020 out of South Alabama.

The team had perfect attendance during the media portion of Tuesday’s practice.

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The Patriots draft S Joshuah Bledsoe in the 6th round of the 2021 NFL draft

Bill Belichick adds even more depth to his safety room.

Bill Belichick continued to address his defense, as the New England Patriots selected Missouri Tigers safety Joshuah Bledsoe with the 188th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The 5-foot-11, 204-pound defensive back spent four years at Missouri showed impressive strength against receivers on releases, but his agility kept him from being an elite safety in college. In his 10 games in 2020, Bledsoe recorded 41 tackles (2.5 for a loss), six passes defended, and one interception.

New England has a pretty deep safety room with Devin McCourty, Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips, and Jalen Mills all expecting to see legitimate reps this season. This move could be planning for the future, as McCourty is closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

Bledsoe joins quarterback Mac Jones (15th overall), defensive tackle Christian Barmore (38th overall), defensive end Ronnie Perkins (96th overall), and linebacker Cameron McGrone (177th overall) as the newest additions to the Patriots’ locker room.

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